Reviews > Trekking Poles > Staves > REI Hiker Anti-Shock Staff > Owner Review by Carl Maeda

Reviewer Bio
Name:	Carl Maeda
Age:	30
Gender:	Male
Height:	5'9" (1.75 m)
Weight:	160 Pounds (73 kg)
Email address:	carl@autofusion.com
City,State,Country:	San Diego, California, USA
Date:	February 17, 2005
Backpacking Background:
I started backpacking in 2004 but I've been hiking on a pretty regular basis since 1993. I usually hike and backpack in Southern California, mostly in L.A. or San Diego but I have been further North to Yosemite and Sequoia. I have also been around other random spots as well such as Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. I try to be a lightweight backpacker but I carry whatever I could afford to buy. I prefer a tent and a lot of my gear, especially my clothing is homemade by my wife, who is a costume designer.
Product Information
Manufacturer:	REI
Year:	2003
URL:	http://www.rei.com
Weight:	11.4 oz. (323 g)
Shaft Material:	Aluminum
Minimum length:	29" (0.747 m)
Maximum length:	56" (1.422 m)
Product Description:
The REI Hiker didn't have any packaging aside from the usual tags. The Hiker Staff has anti shock springs, which can be turned on and off pretty easily. The grip is foam and the top knob is made of cork and unscrews to become a monopod. Like all staffs and trekking poles, it has a basket right above the carbide tip. The staff also has a hand strap but mine did not come with a cover for the tips. However, on another visit to REI, I did notice that the Hiker staff did come with a cover for the tip.
Field Information
Locations:	Yosemite, Sequoia, Palm Springs, All over San Bernardido and San Diego, Red Rock Canyon (Nevada)
Description of location:	Mountains/Forest (Yosemite between 5,000 ft (1500 m) to 12,000 ft (3600 m) and Mission Trails Park in Santee, California, USA at about 50 ft elevation (15 m)), Desert/Canyons (Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, USA and Indian Canyons in Palm Springs, California, USA)
Weather Conditions:	Temperatures ranges from 120 F (48 C) (Summer at Red Rock Canyon) to about 35 F (1 C)(Fall Yosemite). I have used the staff in light and torrential rain but I haven't used it in snow yet.
Field Experience:
The REI Hiker has served me well. It has very good grip and I use it as a third leg when boulder hopping and stream crossing. This is probably my single most used piece of gear. I take it with me anytime I go hiking or backpacking. It is pretty durable and very easy to use. It has a few scratches and scrapes but I think that is expected. There are no dents yet or anything else that would compromise the integrity of the staff. I lean on it a lot especially when I'm crossing streams and boulder hopping but I have never put stress at a perpendicular angle to the pole. The staff is fairly easy to use, I simply twist it clockwise to tighten and counter clockwise to loosen. Once loosened, the staff's height can be adjusted. To engage the anti-shock, I just tighten the upper section a little more until I feel the staff click. The padded hand strap is extremely comfortable and I like how I can hold it from the top and from the side. I usually hold the staff on the top knob when I'm really using it and from the side foam grip when I'm not really using it. The foam grip is very easy on my hands. I have a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome which is caused by repetitive behavior in my hands. Carpal tunnel makes my hands numb or causes pain if I use my hands too much. People with severe cases can't even use their hands at all and have to have surgery. Whenever, I hold something for more than 10 or 15 minutes, my hands usually start hurting but this staff is very easy to hold. I think it has something to do with the foam grip and the diameter of the grip. I have never experienced pain holding the staff by the foam grip although I have had some pain if I hold it by the cork top for a long while, maybe 30 to 45 minutes but I can just switch hands if that happens. The hand strap is adjustable, there's a wedge at the top of the strap, I simply pull it out and adjust the length of the strap. When I'm done adjusting the strap, I put the wedge back in. The strap is about 1 inch (25 mm) and tapers out to 2 inches (51 mm) at the middle of the strap. The wider section of the strap has a fleece like padded material on it that makes the strap more comfortable. The basket is useful, especially during and after it rains. It keeps the staff from sinking into the ground. The carbide tip has surprisingly good grip and I use it all the time when boulder hopping. It grips granite very well but I still have to be careful as it can slip if I don't make sure it has a good grip. I use the staff for stream crossing. It can be a bit tricky because sometimes, I can't see the bottom of the stream and the strength of the current is deceiving many times. One useful trick I found is to use the staff to determine the depth of a stream while I'm crossing it. Sometimes, the water is too murky to accurately determine its' depth. I can also see how strong the current is just by dipping the staff in the water. After testing out the antishock feature, I prefer to keep it off. The anti-shock mechanism works much like the suspension on a car. It cushions the staff's impact on the ground. This is supposed to reduce fatigue on the knees when going downhill. Turn it off when going uphill because the suspension will work against you. I simply prefer a more rigid staff, which is why I keep the anti-shock mechanism off. I feel less sure footed with the anti-shock on because the staff compresses a little more when I put more of my weight on it. The only downside is that if I lean into the staff too much (for example, when I'm going downhilll on a steep incline), the telescopic staff will shrink so I will have to readjust it periodically. I didn't have this problem when I first purchased the staff but it doesn't bother me too much. I'm not sure why this occurs. I took the staff apart and everything looks like it's still ok. My guess would be the little yellow plastic piece that exerts pressure on the inside walls of the staff is just too worn.
Summary
This is a very good staff and I prefer it to trekking poles. It is simple more convenient to have one of my hands free. I like to munch on stuff while I hike.

Pros:

1. Foam Grip
2. Durable
3. Hand Strap is comfortable
4. Light

Cons:

1. After about a year of use, my telescoping staff shrinks if leaned into too much.

Reviews > Trekking Poles > Staves > REI Hiker Anti-Shock Staff > Owner Review by Carl Maeda